Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was one of the main Union land forces. In July of 1861 the Union suffered a great loss at the battle of Bull Run. This resulted in General George B. McClellan being appointed as leader of the Union forces in and around Washington D.C. McClellan then created an army, this was known as the Army of the Potomac. This army would have many different commanders through its span of the Civil War. General George B. McClellan was the creator and commander of the Army of the Potomac. McClellan remained as the commander from July 1861 to November 1862. The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War (JCCW) was a group of Radical Republicans that very quickly developed an unfavorable relationship with McClellan. The JCCW disliked…

ever fought in North America. During the first three days of July 1863, the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia turned a small town in Southern Pennsylvania into the site of a struggle for the future of the United States. More than 50,000 men fell as casualties (men listed as killed, wounded, or missing/captured), a scale of suffering never seen before or…

On the Union side, General Ambrose Burnside had just recently been made into the General of the Potomac Army. Reasons for Union Loss: Miscommunication, The union needed pontoon bridges to cross the Rappahannock river, and due to miscommunication the bridge were delayed, giving the South time to be able to heavily fortify positions on Marye’s Heights.…

The single bloodiest day in American history occurred on September 17, 1862 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia clashed with Union Major General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac on the banks of Antietam creek, near the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland. Even though they were outnumbered two-to-one, the Army of Northern Virginia fought its opponent to a standstill, and was able to slip back across the Potomac River unmolested. During the course of the 12-hour…

On July 28, 1863 the army of Potomac were defeated in Chancellorsville by Robert E. Lee raising the confidence of the confederates and lowering the union’s. July 1st the army of Potomac were on their way to Gettysburg Virginia, news of this: Lee planned to assemble his men to intercept the union army at the the railroads. The Union corps had arrived later that day at “Cemetery Ridge”, soon after their arrival more corps arrived to strengthen their forces. The next day they were well…

aggressive leader. General Hooker spearheaded the Union assault at the Battle of Antietam, which ended in a stalemate. During the devastating Union defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg, General Hooker’s units sustained heavy casualties. General Hooker recognized the futility of the Union’s effort to assault the Confederate forces that were firmly entrenched and repeatedly repelled the Union’s assaults. After the defeat at Fredericksburg, General Hooker was so critical of the leadership…

battle was fought outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 35 miles southwest of Harrisburg, from July 1 to July 3, 1863. The two main armies involved were the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by General Robert E. Lee. The Battle of Gettysburg was a decisive victory for the Union forces when Lee retreated back to Virginia. It marked a turning point in the Civil War, halting General Lee’s invasion of the North. The…

George B. McClellan 1826-1885 was a United States Army officer, railroad president, and politician who served as a major general during the Civil War 1861-65. McClellan organized the Army of the Potomac in 1861 and briefly served as general-in-chief of the Union Army. McClellan was well liked by his men but his reluctance to attack the Confederacy with the full force of his Army despite having a significant advantage put him on bad terms with President Abraham Lincoln. In 1862 McClellan…

victory at vicksburg was an amazing win. On May 1, 1863, Grant’s army crossed the mississippi river at the battle of port gibson. Little did Grant know that confederate forces were there. Grant sent a portion of his army under General William T. Sherman to capture the state capitol, Jackson, while setting his sights on vicksburg with a view toward permanently closing the confederate supply base. When initial assaults on the city demonstrated the strength of Vicksburg’s defenses, the Union was…

Just as George Washington, Lee tried to cross the Potomac River in Virginia. Tens of thousands of men were either captured, wounded, or killed just on the Confederate side during the Battle of Antietam. Then, in early May of 1864, the Battle of the Wilderness began. The Army of the Potomac, led by General Ulysses Grant, made a bloody attack on Confederate Forces. Lee was restrained and taken away by his men after one of his own men was wounded by his forces. Finally, on April 2nd, 1865, Lee gave…